You are alone..

That is a lie.

You are not alone.

That is truth.

Let me elaborate.

One of the most basic tactics in combat is to isolate one's target, surround, and attack when most vunerable. Pretty simple concept, yet its so easy to get lost in confusion when it is happening to us. And that is exactly what the enemy uses against us. And that's where I find myself at present. Underseige. And to be completely honest, I'm breaking down.

After training camp, I felt empowered, loved, at peace, and left with a new found confidence in the Lord, but little did I know how many trials I would be facing back at home. I quickly realized that the only thing that really changed back at home was myself and all the things I left behind were the same. I mean, it was silly of me to think otherwise but there was hoping. All the temptations, the old lifestyle, were still there. I was good at first. A week tops, maybe. And than it all started to crumble. Everything I learned, gained, experienced, I started to forget. I slowly found myself falling back into the same rountine and bad habits from the past and to a place I knew all too well. A place of depression, loneliness, lust, addiction, and just pure laziness. I began to lose myself in mist of all the chaos and confusion created by my surroundings and circumstances. To the lies of the enemy. Back to self doubt and condemnation. With this one phrase resounding in my mind. You are alone.

It's hard for me to confess this and It bothers me to no end how quick I was to forget and slow to remember His truth and love for me but it's because of that same truth and love I share this. That there is no shame in the eyes of the Lord. And that I am not strong enough. That I cannot do this alone. And that I need your help. That I need the Lord so much. More than yesterday. And so here I am. Stripped bare and broken. In need of community. In need of support, prayer, and encouragement. And to somehow encourage you too. For the body of Christ is made of many parts. And one can not say to the other they are better then the rest but all work equally together as His body. That we were not made to be alone. But we are made for community. And it is through that community that He works and resides, in all of us. To show love and to shed light. To bring His truth to life. And to remind you and myself.

You are not alone.

And if I can share a quick word with y'all. It comes from 2 Kings 6:15-17

To quickly summarize the background of this, the King of Aram was at war with Israel at the time and Elisha the prophet heard of King Aram's plan to attack Israel from the Lord and warned the King of Israel so they could evade them time and again. King Aram was furious and wanted to know how this was happening and finally heard that it was the prophet Elisha's doing. So after he found Elisha's whereabouts he sent his troops to kill him and that's where we find ourselves here. 

¹⁵ When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.

¹⁶ “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

So here's my take on this scene. I imagine this poor guy just waking up, eyes barely open, going to the bathroom to do his business before setting off to start the day when BAM! the sight of an army of horses and chariots surrounding the city is before him. What a way to wake up.. The sheer fear he must of experienced from that sight probably made him pee himself if that's not what he was already doing.. What happens next? He goes to the prophet Elisha and I imagine that Elisha is still sleeping and this guy is just running in frantic, freaking out, yelling "We're surrounded!! There's horses and chariots everywhere, and, and, man.. what are we gonna do… We're gonna die!!" and Elisha, the cool guy he is being a prophet of the Lord, calmly rolls over and wakes up, stretches and says "Chill brother" and here's the line that gets me every time. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." What a BOSS answer. Elisha then prays to the Lord to open the servant's eyes and just like that BAM! again. The servant is able to see. And oh a sight it must of been! The hills filled with horses and chariots of FIRE!!! all around Elisha. Crazyy. Must of peed his pants again!

Now with all joking aside. What I get from this is this.

We are that servant. When seemingly surrounded on all sides, our back against the wall, and no way out. We let our fear, doubt, worry, the lies of the enemy set in. We forget, as the servant did, that the Lord is with us and that He is so much greater than we can see. Who reminded the servant of that? Elisha. The prophet of God. A man of God. God's people. Community. How did Elisha do it? Reassures and encourages him. "Do not be afraid." "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And he prayed for him. Brought him before the Lord on his behalf. To give him vision. Eyes to see. And what does he see? Man. I can only imagine. The armies of heaven all around them. Around you. 

How great is our God? Soo good. 

For those who are with us are more than those who are with them.

You are not alone.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. – Hebrews 12:1-3

For we live by faith, not by sight. – 2 Corinthians 5:7